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Stone Smoked Porter: Now in Vanilla and Chipotle

Randy is the Media & Communications Linchpin at Stone Brewing Co., as well as co-author of the "The Craft of Stone Brewing Co.: Liquid Lore, Epic Recipes, and Unabashed Arrogance" with Greg Koch and Steve Wagner

Ah, Stone Smoked Porter. The second beer that we ever released, waaaaaay back in December of 1996. It’s a good thing, too… the world was in need of something wonderful, what, with Macarena still tormenting the airwaves and Jingle All The Way polluting movie theater screens. Anyway, back then, we called it Winter Stone, thinking it was just going to be a seasonal release. But when we took it away in the spring, people got a little up in arms and clamored for its triumphant return. (One of the most vocal supporters for bringing it back was Greg’s mom… so we kinda had to comply.)

As time went by, and we kept climbing higher and higher up the hop ladder, the humble Stone Smoked Porter stayed in demand, with its mellow smokiness and nuanced notes of coffee and chocolate. It kept a strong, almost cult-like following. Our unsung hero. Part of the reason it still remains so popular with its loyal fan base is that it pairs so damn well with a wide variety of food, ranging from barbecue to desserts. Heck, I’ll go so far as to say it’s our most food-friendly beer. And if you’re thinking, “Gosh, I bet that would be great with some vanilla beans or chipotle peppers in it,” you’re gonna freak out about this next paragraph.

Dear God. Hold me.

Look who’s finally here. In bottles. Yes, we’ve carried these liquid treats as special growler fills from time to time, and they’ve made their way to the occasional special event, but now they’re here in convenient single-serve 12-ounce receptacles, perfect for taking home (or to the office… we won’t tell!) to enjoy.

They’ve actually been around since 2006:

Stone Smoked Porter w/ Chipotle Peppers came about when Merchandise Manager Chris Carroll suggested we make a special “South of the Border Stone Smoked Porter” for Cinco de Mayo that year.

And while we’re stoked to have these delicious black beauties finally available in bottles, it is a one-time release. For now, at least. But we reserve the right to change our minds about that at any time. Wanna give your input? Tell us your favorite? Head to stonebrewing.com/VanillaOrChipotle and give it to us straight.